A Warrior's Heart
by Mya G
Summary: After a fight, Kagome breaks the last straw when she carelessly insults InuYasha. At the same time, Sango has lost all patience with Miroku. I'm a warrior! I don't need anyone! Can this feudal Romeo and Juliet get past their pride? Inu x Sango
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't not own InuYasha or any of its characters. I just dream I do.

Chapter1

A group of villagers gathered around Kaede's hut, all trying to see what was causing the ruckus that had disturbed their quiet village since early that morning. They whispered to themselves as they heard muffled yelling.

"Ow! Kaede, that stings!" InuYasha howled as the old priestess cleaned his wounds with some herbs.

"Quit your howling, InuYasha. These are but minor wounds. Got 'sat' into a thorn bush, how childish," Kaede sighed, rubbing a clear paste over the hanyou's shoulder. "Why must ye provoke Kagome?"

InuYasha jerked his head around to scowl at the old woman. "I didn't provoke anybody! She's the one who has to protect her precious wolf!" The dog hanyou growled irritably as he pulled his kimono tops back over his shoulders. "Just thinking about it makes me bristle up! You hear me, Kagome!?!" he shouted at the hut entrance. Some of the villagers wisely stepped away form the entrance.

"What are you yelling at, InuYasha?" Shippo asked with a raised eyebrow.

"What are you saying?" Inu blinked. He gasped suddenly. "You don't mean she's-"

"Tis true, InuYasha. Kagome set out to back to her own time a little while ago," Kaede explained as she busied herself with putting up her medicinal herbs.

"WHAT!?!" InuYasha howled, jumping up to his feet. Without another word, he ran out of the hut, past the loitering villagers, and raced to the well.

"Such an impatient young man," Kaede sighed. Nodding, Shippo walked out of the hut to wander the village.

Meanwhile, InuYasha ran through the field that separated the village from the Forest of InuYasha. 'You think you can just leave after what you did to me Kagome!? Well, you've got another thing comin',' the half demon thought as he leapt into the trees. The normally ten minute walk took only two as he jumped through the tree branches. He growled when he caught Kagome's scent and saw her approaching the well.

"KAGOME!!!" he yelled as he landed right in front of her. Kagome gasped out of surprise but quickly smiled happily at him. The gesture only infuriated him.

"Oh, InuYasha, Kaede finished treating those scratches. That's great," she smiled.

"Don't look so innocent! What are you thinking, going home after sitting me into a bush of thorns!?" Inu growled with his fangs showing.

Kagome frowned and placed his fists on her hips. "What did you expect me to do, InuYasha!? Let you and Koga fight it out!?"

InuYasha balled his fist. "I was defending your honor! That mangy wolf KISSED you and in front of everyone-"

"Who said I didn't like it!?!" she yelled in InuYasha's face.

Kagome gasped at what she blurted out and looked away from InuYasha's shocked face. InuYasha stared at Kagome in disbelief. The one person he ever thought he'd love and protect after Kikyo's betrayal loved someone else, and that person was Koga of all people, his arch rival. Growling, he turned away from the miko.

"Go…"

"What?" Kagome asked softly as she looked at his back.

"You heard me. Get out of here! Go back to your precious tests and modern era!" he yelled, still facing away from her. Silently, he started to walk away.

"InuYasha!" Kagome exclaimed. She ran in front of him and halted him in his path. "Lets talk about this! I don't wanna leave with us fighting!"

"Well, I don't wanna talk! I don't even want to look at you, you philandering wench!"

SLAP! The echo of hand meeting face echoed through the area. Birds flew out of the trees and into the sky, the impact was so loud.

"You stupid mutt!" Kagome yelled before she could stop herself. She gasped loudly when she realized what she had done. "I-InuYasha… I-I'm so sorry!"

Placing a hand over the red mark on his cheek, InuYasha stared at Kagome. The young girl cringed at the empty, yet sad look in his eyes. He didn't say anything.

"I-I'm sorry, InuYasha, but… you didn't have to yell at me! Can't you say anything to me?"

"…. You want me to say something?" InuYasha asked in a soft, calm tone.

"…." Kagome nodded, not having the nerve to speak.

"Leave. Leave, Kagome, and don't expect me to be here when you come back," Inu said, "I don't know why you're even here. Naraku's dead, and the Shikon Jewel is none of your concern. Why are you here, Kagome?"

Kagome was taken back. "I'm… I'm here for… you."

"WHY!?" InuYasha exclaimed angrily, making her jump. "I don't need you! I'm a hanyou, a warrior! I don't need anybody!"

"InuYasha…." Kagome stared at InuYasha. She couldn't believe what he was saying. She'd never thought such a careless outburst would hurt him so badly. "InuYasha, I-"

"JUST GO!" InuYasha howled and pushed Kagome into the well.

"InuYasha!" Kagome cried out as she disappeared into the darkness. The last thing she saw was the cold, unforgiving expression on InuYasha's face.

When she was gone, InuYasha snorted and turned away from the deserted well. 'When she comes back, she's all yours, Wolf Boy.' Then, without another thought, InuYasha ran off into his forest.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"InuYasha went after Kagome?" Sango asked, blinking down at Shippo.

The kitsune nodded with his arms crossed over his chest. He watched as Sango drunk some water from the village well.

"He left as soon as Kaede finished treating his scratches. That was awhile ago so he might've ended up going with Kagome to her era," Shippo explained.

"I see," she sighed. "At least Naraku's gone, and we can breathe a little easier."

"Exactly! If Kagome has to go back home, I say let her," Shippo nodded to himself at his own suggestion. "I just wish InuYasha didn't have to act like such a baka."

"Hmm… I think he had every right to be mad after Koga kissed Kagome like that," the demon exterminator mused, getting another drink of water.

"Maybe…" Shippo sighed.

Feminine giggling brought the two's attention to the absence of Miroku. They didn't have to look far to see the monk laughing it up with a young maiden from the village. The young girl seemed to be in her seventeenth year, had long black hair, and unblemished, creamy skin. It was obvious to see that she had just come back from the rice fields by seeing the woven basket of rice plants strapped to her back. Standing before the girl was Miroku holding her extended hand as if reading it.

"Oh, sir monk, please! You're making me blush!" the young girl exclaimed, giggling.

"No, I'm sure of it! Healthy children are definitely in your future, and their father, a good man of the cloth- Gah!" Miroku grunted with a huge knot on his head as a result of Sango hitting him with her boomerang bone.

"You should move along now," Sango told the confused girl in an even tone.

"Huh? Uh…." Without another word, the village girl left them alone, looking over her shoulder at them.

"Ow! Sango, what did I do!?" Miroku asked, rubbing his head.

"The same thing you always do to get some sense knocked into your head, for being such a lecherous pervert!" Sango snapped angrily at the Buddhist monk. "When are you ever going to learn your lesson and stop!?"

Miroku sighed longingly and stood up from where he had been knocked down. "Ah, my dear Sango, how can I make you understand the need for a child of mine to be born?"

Sango grimaced. "Are you really serious? Your wind tunnel is gone, Miroku! Where is the desperate need for a child!?"

Miroku smiled, and Sango gasped when he took her hand and rubbed it on his cheek. "Oh, Sango, can't you see? You're the only one my heart belongs to. It's just that old habits die hard so please have patience with me."

Sango growled dangerously, jerked her hand free, and slapped the monk as hard as she humanly could. The slap echoed throughout the village, causing all of the villagers to stop what they were doing to stare at them. Miroku was shocked at the ferocity of Sango's anger and stared at her in disbelief.

"Sango…"

"I've run out of patience with you, you miserable lech!" the demon exterminator yelled. In anger, she spread out her arm to gesture towards the entire village. "I don't deserve to be humiliated in front of village after village by your womanizing antics with every walking female within sight! Do you hear me, monk!? I don't deserve it!"

With that said, she turned to walk away.

"Sango, wait!" Miroku called after her.

"Sango!" Shippo ran after the demon slayer. "Where are going, Sango!? Don't leave!!"

"I have no choice!" Sango declared, still walking. "You don't need me around anymore! Send my regards to InuYasha and Kagome. I wish you all luck with finding the rest of the shards. Kirara!"

The two-tailed cat didn't transform but mewed and ran after her mistress as Sango walked away from the village. The urge to look back was strong within Sango, but she resisted the urge and kept walking.

'I will not give Miroku the satisfaction of looking back. I am strong. I'm a warrior. I don't need anyone in my life!' With that in mind, she continued to walk through the field and into the Forest of InuYasha.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha or any of its characters. I just dream I do. So let's get onto the story.

Chapter 3

High in the tree branches, InuYasha sat with his eyes closed and a scowl on his face. He was so silent and motionless that any wanderer who saw him would have thought he was asleep. However, the occasional growl would have given him away. The dog hanyou finally let out a deep sigh and opened his eyes. He was still furious with Kagome over what she said to him.

'There's no way I'm going back to get her this time. I'd rather die than have to look at her ever again,' he thought. He sighed and tenderly rubbed his cheek that was still red and stinging from Kagome's slap. 'I don't deserve this kind of treatment. No matter what Kagome and I have been through together in the past, I'm not going to lower myself to be her personal puppy she can lead around with a leash.'

At that thought, InuYasha fingered the rosary around his neck. The ornate beads were the only thing that he had left of Kagome, and he was cursed to have to wear them for the rest of his life. With a snort, he let go of the beads of subjugation and glared into space. Eventually, however, he sighed and forced himself to face the truth. He was alone.

"Who needs her?" he spat to himself, "I got along fine without her, and I can do it again."

'But where do I go?' his inner thoughts asked, betraying his statement.

Sudden movement in the bushes below made InuYasha's ears twitch and brought his attention the forest floor below. Planning to stay silent if it was Kagome looking for him, he sniffed the air for a scent, glad he was downwind. However, instead of a single scent, he smelt two.

'Sango… and Kirara?' he thought, blinking as he watch the bushes just below him part and reveal the demon exterminator and feline demon companion.

'Great. Kagome's probably got everyone looking for me,' he thought, keeping silent and hidden in the branches.

He would have gone unnoticed too, if the wind hadn't changed directions. Kirara stopped suddenly, sniffing at the air, and started mewing up at the tree InuYasha was in. InuYasha held his breath, but Kirara still mewed. The dog hanyou started to panic when her mewing grew louder and the cat started to climb the tree. He tried to scat her away, but that only encouraged the little cat. Kirara's antics finally drew Sango's attention to the tree.

"Kirara, what is it?" Sango asked, walking over to the tree. She looked up and blinked to see InuYasha trying to hide out of sight. "InuYasha? What are you doing here?"

InuYasha cursed under his breath. "None of your business, Sango, and you can tell Kagome to give up trying to find me cause I'm not going to apologize! Got that!?" he barked, sitting cross-legged on a branch with his arms folded over his chest. "And if she tries to 'sit' me out of this tree, she's going to need her wolf to protect her from me!"

Sango blinked completely confused by what InuYasha said. "Apologize to Kagome?"

InuYasha caught the confusion in Sango's voice and blinked down at her. "Isn't that why you're here, to look for me?"

Sango shook her head, still confused. "Not at all. I haven't heard about any fights between you and Kagome. In fact, I haven't seen her since before she left for the well."

Inu snorted and leaned back against the tree trunk. "Well, trust me. You'll hear all about it when she comes back."

Sango was silent for a moment. "I'll miss out on that I'm afraid."

"Huh? What do you mean by that?" InuYasha asked. He jumped down to the forest floor and stood next to her.

Sango sighed and sat down on an eroded tree root. Kirara jumped into her mistress' lap and nuzzled Sango's hand, purring. "There's no more need for me to be around now that Naraku's dead, and I can't stand to be around Miroku and his philandering ways. So… I'm leaving."

InuYasha kneeled down next to her. "Where do you plan on going? What do you plan on doing now?"

Sango sighed and looked up at the mid-afternoon sky. "I… I've decided on going back to my village."

"The exterminator village?" Inu blinked.

Sango nodded. "I figured Kirara and I could rebuild and try to restore the village."

"Can you do that by yourselves?" Inu asked.

"I have to. No one else will be there to help me," Sango replied. She frowned, thinking of Miroku. "No one will want to." She blinked when InuYasha stood up soundlessly. "InuYasha…"

"I'll go along," he said, shocking Sango.

"Really? I mean, I would appreciate it, but it's at least a week long journey, and it'll take at least a month to rebuild. What'll Kagome do when-"

"I don't care what Kagome does!" InuYasha barked. "She can just run to Koga for help for all I care!"

It was then that Sango eyed the red mark on Inu's cheek. "So there is no way for you to reconcile with her."

"That's what I've been saying, isn't it?" Inu snorted. He sighed and looked down at Sango. "Look, you need someone to help you rebuild your village, and I need somewhere to stay since there's no way I'll ever hear the end of this whole thing back at the village."

"So let's join up together… to give each other what we need," Sango added quickly, extending her hand to InuYasha.

InuYasha blinked at the gesture at first, but then smirked and took it. As they sealed the bargain, both were thinking the same thing. 'A dog hanyou helping a demon exterminator rebuild her village?' It was definitely one of those cosmic jokes of irony.

When they let go, InuYasha turned his back to Sango. "Jump on."

"Huh?" Sango blinked with Kirara on her shoulder.

"It's only a few hours before dusk. We'll make better time if I carry you and let Kirara rest. Then at night, we can have Kirara fly us there while we rest," InuYasha explained. "So jump on."

"Oh, alright," Sango nodded. Carefully, she climbed onto Inu's back and let him support her. She held on tight and blinked, feeling InuYasha flinch. For a few moments, she wandered what had happened but quickly remembered InuYasha's encounter with the thorn bush. "How are your scratches?" she asked, trying to keep from smiling too much.

"Peachy," Inu grumbled. Suddenly, he jumped up into the trees, getting a startled gasp from Sango. Secretly, InuYasha couldn't help but smirk. "Let's go!"


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha or any of its characters

Chapter 4

The ticking of the clock on the drawer seemed to echo through Kagome's ears. Kagome half heartedly tried to concentrate on studying. The math problems were like a foreign language as she tried to decipher the different symbols and formulas.

_You stupid mutt! I- InuYasha… I-I'm so sorry!_

She cringed at the memory. Her grip on the mechanical pencil tightened. It had been three days since InuYasha had pushed her into the well, and she was still miserable.

'I can't believe I slapped InuYasha, that I called him a… mutt. How could I have been such a jerk?' She shook her head abruptly, trying to clear her thoughts. 'Snap out of it! Self pity later! I have a test tomorrow!'

Kagome busied herself with the notes again. She was actually able to figure out five of the problems when she heard a tapping on her window.

"InuYasha!" she exclaimed, whirling around in her chair to face the window. She blinked, and her smile fell when she saw it was just a small bird pecking at the window pane. "It's… just a bird."

_Leave. Leave, Kagome, and don't expect me to be here when you come back. _InuYasha's voice and face seemed to reign in her mind.

Kagome sighed and slowly turned back to her studies. "That's right," she said aloud to herself, "He's not coming back to get me… not this time."

Again, she tried to get back to her studies. However, she couldn't stop seeing the pain and rejection in his eyes. He had wanted to cry, but his pride wouldn't let him. The lead of Kagome's mechanical pencil snapped against the notebook paper. Tears dripped onto the school girl's notes. The once silence tears turned into sobs as Kagome cried.

'Wh-What have I done!? I… I lost my best friend!'


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha or any of its characters.

Chapter 5

The stars in the sky were dimming slowly as dawn steadily approached. Clouds of breath came from InuYasha's mouth as he ran through the forest in the early spring morning. His steady movements were even more silent and graceful than normal as Sango slept sound fully on his back. An exhausted Kirara slept peacefully as well as she was cradled in his kimono against his chest.

InuYasha relished the feel of the cool wind blowing past them. Being able to just run… to feel free liberated him, body and soul. Kirara tickled his flesh in her sleep, and Sango's even breathing warmed the back of his neck. In her sleep, Sango tightened her hold around his neck, causing Inu to look back at her.

'She's still asleep.' He slowed down to a halt when he recognized the broken down fort of the abandoned demon exterminator village. The dog hanyou took the opportunity to catch his breath. After five days of traveling, they had made it.

"Sango… Sango, wake up. We made it," he said, nudging her with his shoulder.

Slowly, Sango woke up and groggily rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. "What, InuYasha?"

"We're at the village," he said as she climbed down from his back and stood next to him.

In his kimono, Kirara stirred and woke up. When the little feline sniffed and realized where they were, she mewed loudly and jumped out from under the fire rat cloth. Sango couldn't help but smile as the cat demon ran into the village as fast as her legs could carry her.

"She's certainly happy," InuYasha observed as they followed her.

Sango nodded. "I'm sure. We haven't been here in ages," Sango said softly, bracing herself to realize the damage of her home.

When they walked through the entrance of the fort, they saw Kirara rubbing her head against the support frame of one of the houses. There wasn't a single building in the village that didn't need repairs in some way or another. The majority of them needed completely new roofs, and many were damaged by fire. The fort was definitely going to have to be rebuilt. Weeds and tall grass took over everywhere. The old graves of the villagers were possibly the only things that were not disturbed, and for this, Sango was grateful.

"Well, we certainly have our work cut out for us," InuYasha said gruffly, looking around. He lifted his arm and rotated his shoulder. "Oh, well. No time like the present. Where should we start first, Sango? Sango?"

InuYasha blinked as Sango walked over to the graves. Silently, she kneeled on her knees and started to offer her prayers. InuYasha stood back silently, giving the young woman her needed space. Kirara ran over to him and rubbed against his leg, mewing at him.

"Shh, come on Kirara," he whispered, "It's still early yet. Let's get some breakfast while Sango tends to the graves."

He walked off and Kirara obediently followed him. As they walked, InuYasha looked over his shoulder to see Sango gathering the old, dried up flowers, or what was left of them, off of the graves.

'I can't help but wonder what Sango's comrades would think of a hanyou helping her rebuild their village,' he thought. He snorted silently. 'Who cares. At least I'm willing to help her.'

By that afternoon, Sango had finished tending to the graves, and she and InuYasha were busy clearing the ground of debris. Sango was carrying an old woven basket, and it was filled with weeds and grass. InuYasha and Kirara were dragging logs and rusted weapons out of the village and into a nearby gulley.

Sango paused for a moment to wipe the sweat off of her face and fully inspect the village's condition. Just as she had thought, there was plenty to do. 'Tomorrow, InuYasha and I will have to fix the village water pipes. That by itself is a whole day's job.' She eyed the damaged wooden pipes and sighed. 'We'll have to set out early just to find the necessary materials. I'm already going to have to find or make some rope tonight.'

"Hey, InuYasha!" she called when she saw him and Kirara returning.

InuYasha looked up. "Yeah, what is it?"

"If you should see any good rope or chains in the rubble, save them for me will you?" she asked. "We need rope to repair the water shoots, and the fort's draw door needs a new chain on one side."

"Oh, yeah. Alright, will do. Come on, Kirara," Inu ordered the feline as he walked back to a pile of weapons they had gathered earlier.

The now huge cat followed him like a faithful pet and immediately grabbed a huge axe that was right next to her. Before getting back to work himself, InuYasha wiped the sweat off his brow and looked up at the hot sun. Rolling up his sleeves off of his arms wasn't going to cut it anymore, he realized. With his back to Sango he untied his sash and took off both of his kimono tops, revealing his tone chest and abs.

'Much better,' he sighed inwardly, especially as a cool breeze blew through the village.

Now feeling better, he went back to work and grabbed the closest few weapons to him. He didn't realize Sango was staring at him. Sango didn't realize it herself until she found herself almost drooling at the sight of his toned, slim body.

'I wonder what InuYasha would look like with a tan after working in this sun,' she thought to herself. She blushed darkly and shook her head. 'Snap out of it, Sango! Remember what happened last time you allowed yourself to get attracted to a man!? Remember, you're a warrior; you don't need a man! InuYasha's just helping the village recover, that's all!'

She quickly busied herself back to work, hoping InuYasha didn't notice her blush. However, InuYasha saw her redden cheeks out of the corner of his eyes. 'What's with her? Is she getting overheated?'

Off to the side, Kirara just looked at the two friends and sighed, rolling her eyes.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha or its characters.

Chapter 6

The fire crackled calmly as Sango tended to it. To her right, InuYasha was still eating his portion of the quail he had caught for their supper before it got too dark. Hers was still cooking since she couldn't eat her bird as raw as Inu could. Kirara was napping next to InuYasha having already eaten her meal.

Sango looked out the hut that had been her childhood home. Inwardly, she smiled at the improvement one day's work had accomplished. After pulling all of the weeds, she had helped InuYasha and Kirara dispose of the rest of the useless debris. Sadly, they hadn't found too much usable rope and would need to weave some before going to bed. However, they had found plenty of chains that were like new. They could easily find a blacksmith to bind them together, or they could, as InuYasha suggested, get Totosai to do them a small favor.

"You're awfully quiet," InuYasha said, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Just thinking about everything we got done and making the rope," Sango said softly.

"Oh…" InuYasha discarded the bones of his quail to the side and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. He cleared his throat. "If you show me how and my claws don't get in the way, I'll help you make the ropes for the pipes."

Sango blinked. "Really? Don't get me wrong, it would definitely help, but you don't have to."

"I want to," he simply stated. He sniffed the air. "Watch out, or your birds going to burn."

"Oh! Thanks." She lifted the cooked quail out of the fire and blew on it. Once it was to her satisfaction, she hungrily ate the wild bird. As she ate, silence came over them, and she noticed InuYasha tending to the fire for her. "InuYasha…"

"Yeah?" Inu looked up from the flames at her.

For a moment, Sango was lost in InuYasha's eyes. His amber eyes seemed to dance from the fire's flames. She shook her head slightly to clear her thoughts.

"It's just…. Thank you," she sighed softly, "for everything you've done to help me."

Inu snorted. "What are you talking about? Of course I'd help you."

Sango blinked, taken back by the statement. "Oh? In the past, I've never seen you voluntarily act the part of the good Samaritan."

Inu hmphed with the faintest of blushes on his face. "This is different. You're my friend… a fellow warrior who needed help. Besides, I needed a place to stay, just as we agreed on before."

Sango smiled softly. "Of course," she said and went back to eating her supper.

They sat next to each other in comfortable silence after that, watching the bright stars above.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha or its characters. Now lets get to the story, shall we?

Chapter 7

Two weeks later, Sango and Kirara were catching dinner in the nearby stream. Kirara was in her huge saber-toothed form, and Sango had her sleeves rolled up and her kimono pulled over her knees. The mid-spring sun was hot above them, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky.

The rhythm of hammering down stream was her only indication that InuYasha was finishing up the repairs on the fort wall. She and Kirara had tried to persuade the hanyou to take a break and come with them, but of course, he had been stubborn, wanting to finish his work first.

_You guys go ahead if you want. I'm finishing up before I get relaxed._

Sango chuckled to herself at the memory. 'He's definitely a headstrong one,' she thought.

She blinked and narrowed her eyes in concentration as a trout swam by. She heard Kirara growl, also seeing the fish. Quickly, Sango grabbed at the trout, scooping it out of the cool, clear water. The fish thrashed about in Sango's hands, and with the help of its wet, slim body, it managed to slip out of her hands. Kirara broke in then, swatting at the fish with her huge paws and slashing it with her claws, killing the fish. The trout loaded lifelessly on the smooth rocks of the shore next to Sango. The exterminator smiled approvingly at her and her feline's technique.

"That's quite a move you two have there," an amused voice said a few feet away.

Sango turned around and smiled to see InuYasha who was smiling at them on top of a boulder. "I'm afraid it won't do much for fighting a demon, but it's perfect for fishing. Don't you think so, Inu?"

Inu smirked, now used to the nickname, and crossed his arms over his chest. "That's why I complimented it, isn't it?"

"Oh, so as long as the ending result is your full belly, you give us your approval?" Sango teased playfully.

Her friend snorted. "Well, between the two of us we have enough fighting techniques, but we really do need more hunting tricks."

"That's true," she nodded, returning her attention to the stream. However, she couldn't help but watch InuYasha kneel down for a drink of water. His slightly tan body contrasted well with his silver eyes. The body his glistened form the sheen of sweat over his skin. "I thought you weren't taking a break till you were done with the repairs."

"I did say that," he nodded before drinking another handful of water.

"You're done!?" she exclaimed with wide eyes.

Inu shrugged and sat down on the shore near her. "Wasn't much left to do. So I'm just going to rest," he sighed, laying back on the boulder. He crossed his arms under his head and closed his eyes.

"And leave us to catch lunch?" she asked with a small vein pulsing on her forehead.

Inu smirked with his eyes still closed. "You're the one who said I needed to take a break."

"So I did," she sighed, returning her attention to the stream. 'At least, he finally _is _taking a break. He's been working so hard lately.'

Meanwhile, Kirara looked over at InuYasha on the shore and back at Sango who had her back to her. She did it again before a coy smile curled her lips. Discreetly, the feline swatted at the water towards the shore. The splash of water hit Inu's face, making his eyes fly open. Sitting up, the hanyou wiped at his face and eyed Sango who still had her back to him. Figuring it was just a fish that had splashed in the water; he laid back down on his back.

Seeing this, Kirara rolled her eyes and eyed Sango. No, her mistress wouldn't do for this antic; they were too close next to each other. Plus, she wasn't the type to retaliate at mere little splashes. Kirara looked back at InuYasha and tried again.

This time, when the water hit Inu's face, he bolted up and narrowed his eyes at Sango. However, Sango was still faced away from him. Inu smirked.

'So she's trying to play innocent, is she?' he thought with a fang showing. Silently, he walked into the water until it up was up to his knees. 'Well, it's not going to work this time!'

"Sango!" he yelled as if in alarm.

Sango yelped and twirled around just in time for a huge splash of water to hit her in the face.

"InuYasha! What is the meaning of this?!" she yelled, coughing up water.

"It's your just reward for starting it!" InuYasha exclaimed, reaching down for another attack. "Think fast!"

Sango jumped back before the water could hit her. She gasped, however, when she slipped and fell back into the water. InuYasha immediately stopped laughing and ran to her side with Kirara following him.

"Sango! Are you alright!?" he asked, kneeling down in the water to help her. He was sure she was furious from the way her eyes were down cast away from him.

"InuYasha…"

"Uh, yeah," he winced.

Sango slapped the water, and a small splash hit him in the face. She laughed at the look on his face and quickly scooted away before he could react. "You had better stop daydreaming, InuYasha!" she laughed, sending another splash of water in his face.

The dog hanyou smirked and growled playfully. "Come back here, Sango!" he yelled, smiling.

Sango shook her head and splashed at him. InuYasha splashed back soaking her all over. Soon, the only words communicated between the two were in squeals and laughter as they carried on with their water war. They could only see water as their visions were blinded by their fun.

Sango couldn't remember the last time she had so much fun. Not since she and Kohaku were younger and played in this very same stream she was sure. She didn't worry about old memories though; she was having too much fun beating InuYasha at his own game.

As they splashed each other, Inu laughed harder than he ever had in his whole life. He had to breathe through his teeth so he wouldn't drown from Sango's attack splashes, but he didn't care. The hanyou had never had someone to actually play with as a child, and for the first time in his life, he was actually a part of the fun.

Sango surprised Inu when she leap t at him through the splashes, but he easily caught her and held her in the air, close to his body.

The poor hanyou blushed darkly and stiffened at the position they were in, especially where his hands had ended up holding Sango up by. Sango, however, just smiled down at the hanyou's face and wiped the soaked strands of hair from his face, smoothing his thick eyebrows. InuYasha relaxed and smiled back, relishing the feel of Sango's hand cupping his cheek.

He stiffened up again when Sango suddenly and softly kissed away random water drops from his face. Slowly, her lips traveled from his forehead, to the tip of his nose, and then to his cheeks. Again, his body relaxed, even though his cheeks reddened harder, as he realized there was no threat or reproach in her actions. Fully relaxed, he returned the affection and kissed down her jaw to her chin as she kissed his nose again. InuYasha sighed and nuzzled her neck with his face, tightening his hold on her, as Sango kissed the top of his head between his dog ears. The appendages twitched at the near contact, and InuYasha buried his face into her neck, remembering his shameful heritage.

Sango blinked at his sudden act of insecurity. "InuYasha?"

"We should stop," he muttered softly, not wanting to stop at all.

"Why?" she asked softly. The demon exterminator cupped his face so he would face her.

Inu's normally bright eyes were dark with shame. "I'm a hanyou… a half-breed."

"I don't care," Sango assured him softly. Inu's eyes widened in surprise.

"But I'm a-"

"I don't care," she repeated a bit stronger this time. "I don't care that you're a hanyou and I am a demon exterminator. All I care about is that I _love_ you… and that you love me too." She stroked back strands of wet hair from his face. "Do you, InuYasha? Do you love me?"

"… Yes…. At first, I just thought you were a friend I cared about, but, Sango… I do love you," InuYasha confessed. "I-"

He was caught off guard when Sango captured his lips in hers. At first, his eyes were huge at the intimate touch, but slowly, his eyes grew dim and closed as e leaned into the kiss.

Sango gasped when Inu trailed his tongue across her lips which only gave him quick across to her mouth. The young woman moaned with her eyes closed as their tongues played together and tightened her hold around the dog hanyou's neck, entangling her fingers in his silky, silver hair.

Off to the side, Kirara had transformed back to her tiny self and mewed happily at her two masters before heading back to the village.

Author's note: We still have a ways to go. I'll try to update tomorrow. See you all soon.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha or any of its characters.

Author's Note: Sorry for not updating for a while. It's been a busy weekend. I'll try to update again tonight or tomorrow. Hope you guys enjoy the chapter.

Chapter 8

"I take it you won't be leaving when the repairs on the village are done?" Sango asked in a questioning voice.

InuYasha turned his head to look at her and smile reassuringly. "I go where you go, and I stay where you stay."

"Hmm… Good," she murmured as they laid together on a large, warm boulder.

After their water fight and confessions of love, they had spent the rest of the afternoon cuddled up to each other, drying off. Sango's clothes were hanging on a nearby tree branch. In the bushes away from a certain possible set of prying eyes, she had changed into InuYasha's red kimono top that came down to her mid-thigh. InuYasha wore only his pants as Sango cuddled closer to him. He couldn't help but smile as Sango used his shoulder as a pillow. However, he couldn't stop but wonder one thing.

"Hey, Sango?"

"Hmmm?"

"What would your comrades think of us? Me being a hanyou and all…" InuYasha asked.

"Huh? Don't tell me you're still worried about that!" she chided, poking his shoulder.

InuYasha sighed and gazed up into the tree branches. "Well, you have to admit we haven't run into too many people who approve of half demons. Besides, slaying beings like me was how your kin made their living."

Sango rose herself onto her elbow to look down at his face. "Maybe so, but that doesn't matter anymore. And to answer your question, they would want to me to be happy with a man who loves me."

"Hmm… If only we really did live in a world like that," Inu mused, smiling up at Sango.

"It can be in our small corner of it," Sango murmured, taking his lips in a small kiss.

Inu smiled softly. "It can be, can't it," he agreed, taking her lips in his this time. He blinked suddenly and broke the kiss, sitting up abruptly with a look of thought on his face. "Why can't it be here?" he mumbled so quietly that Sango almost didn't hear him.

"InuYasha…" Sango inquired, sitting up next him. "What's wrong?"

InuYasha turned to look at her. "Sango, have you thought of how we would repopulate the village?"

Sango turned beet red at the question. "N-Not really! In mean…we just told each other how we feel…. Isn't it sort of early to be thinking of children? Even though I think it would be precious to have some freckled, dog-eared babies around-"

By this time, Inu's face had turned a red that competed with Sango's. "Not repopulate like that, Sango!" he interrupted, even though he had to admit the image Sango had created in his mind was intriguing. "I mean _recruiting_. Aren't there any villages around here with people who would volunteer to live here: men, women, children? Heck, are there any rumored hanyous around these parts?"

Sango blinked in surprise. "I'm… not sure. I mean there are plenty of villages around that we have worked with in the past, there might be a few who would want to be a demon exterminator."

"What about hanyous?" Inu asked.

"Not that I know of…" Sango admitted. "Why?"

InuYasha stood up and pulled Sango up with him, getting a yelp from her. "I'll explain on the way back! We have to get back to work!" he exclaimed, grabbing he semidry kimono and jumping boulder to boulder.

"Hey! What happened to taking the rest of the day off!?" Sango exclaimed.

"We'll relax all night, Sango! I've got a brainstorm!" Inu exclaimed, making their way to the village.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha or any of its characters. I just dream I do.

Authors' Note: Sorry for not updating for a while. I've been bombarded with school work at college, and my brother has been using up the phone line, talking to his girlfriend. I know, I know. It's no excuse. Plus, thanks to everyone who reviewed! It means so much! Now lets get on with the story!

"Koga! Slow down, will ya!?" Shippo whined in his huge balloon form, "I can hardly keep up with you!"

The wolf demon halted in his tracks and looked up at the transformed kitsune. He growled in annoyance with Kagome on his back. "Well, then come down here and grab on with Kagome!"

"Take it easy, Koga," Kagome soothed, patting his shoulder. "You know no one can keep up with you with those jewel shards in your legs."

"Besides, Koga, Shippo is carrying a passenger," Miroku said calmly on top of Shippo. The monk was sitting cross-legged on top of the kitsune fox.

"Grr… speaking of which. Why are you tagging along, Monk!? Don't you have a woman to look for!?!" Koga yelled up at Shippo. When he didn't get a response, the wolf demon growled. "Kid, get down here so I can talk to the monk!"

Shippo yelped with little sweat drops popping around him. "Alright, alright! You don't have to yell!" A large puff of smoke exploded in the air, and Shippo and Miroku landed onto the ground. "You didn't have to yell!"

Koga ignored the comment and put Kagome down. "Well, Monk? What about the exterminator? Don't you have to look for her and _mend some wounds _as you put it?"

Miroku was calm as he nodded. "Yes. However, I don't have to look for Sango. I already know she's at her old village trying to rebuild it, and because I already know where she is I thought it would be better to assist you three to search for InuYasha."

"In other words, he doesn't want to go to Sango and get beat up," Shippo simplified, making Miroku's eye twitch.

"Well…" Twitch. "I suppose you could say that."

Koga huffed. "So you're scared of your own woman. Why am I not surprised?" Koga sighed to himself. Then, he looked at Kagome. "While we're on the subject, why _are_ we looking for mutt face, Kagome?"

"I told you already, Koga, I want to find him and try to patch things up. Just because I'm with you doesn't mean I don't still want to be friends with him," Kagome explained. "And I'll never be able to live with myself until I talk this over with him."

"What do you mean by 'this'?" Koga asked.

"Us!" Kagome exclaimed. "Come on, Koga; we talked about this."

"Yeah, yeah. We've only been looking for him for _six weeks_," Koga emphasized.

"I still say we should ask Sango if she's seen him," Shippo chimed in with wide emerald eyes.

Miroku shook his head. "I doubt it. Sango and InuYasha may have been comrades in battle against Naraku, but I doubt InuYasha would be willing to give her a helping hand on such a task as rebuilding her entire village."

Shippo sulked on Kagome's shoulder with his little arms crossed over his chest. "We could still ask her."

Kagome clapped her hands together to everyone's attention. "How about this? We'll look around for one more week. If we don't find him, we'll head back to Kaede's and see if he came back. Then, we'll check with Sango," she said, looking at Miroku while mentioning Sango.

Miroku nodded, smiling. "I believe I'll be able to console her by then."

Kagome sweat dropped slightly. "Alright…. How about it Koga?" she asked, turning to face the wolf demon.

Koga snorted. "What choice do I have?" He grabbed the miko and settled her onto his back. "Lets just get outta here."

"Right! Fox Magic!" Shippo exclaimed before he was enveloped in his smoke puff and transformed into his swollen balloon self. He grunted when Miroku jumped onto him. "Hey, watch it!" Shippo yelled.

Silently, Shippo mumbled. 'I hope we find InuYasha soon. I'm getting tired of this,' the little kitsune fox thought, not daring to speak his thoughts within Koga's hearing range. He sighed softly. 'InuYasha, where are you?'


	10. Chapter 10

Author's Note: CANCEL THE LYNCHING, I'M BACK!!! I'm SO sorry for not updating sooner! I had college finals, projects, and a computer hogging brother to keep me from writing. Not that those are good excuses. To make up for it, I wrote this special chappie that I think you'll all like. I hope it's long enough for you guys.

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. I only dream I do and write stories I hope go into consideration for anime episodes. (Sigh) I still have my dreams.

Chapter 10

"Where are you taking me, Kirara?" Kaede asked softly as they flew over the forest. "Are you taking me to Sango's home?"

The old miko smiled softly when the two-tailed cat mewed at her question. "Ah, is she fairing well?" Another mew was heard. "Good. That does my heart good to hear that."

The priestess knew from Kirara's sudden speed and eagerness that they were nearing their destination. "Kirara… is InuYasha with Sango?" A loud mewl was heard, making Kaede chuckle heartedly. "Heh-heh. I have half a mind to whack that boy's thick head for worrying everyone, but… I suppose I'll be too relieved and happy to see him that I'll probably hug him."

Kaede was silent for a while, listening to the wind blowing past them and the rustling of the leaves on the trees below. She sighed softly then. "What will I tell Kagome and the others when I see them, Kirara? They have been looking for the boy for weeks, and Kagome is very worried." The miko sighed again as the Kirara mewed. "I suppose I will go by my gut after seeing him."

"Heeya!" a young boy exclaimed, throwing a chain rope at a stuffed dummy. The chain soared for a few feet but landed in a pile of tangles several feet away from the mark. "Darn it!" the boy yelled with a scowl on his face.

"You're rushing your throw!" Sango exclaimed. She was in her demon exterminating armor as she instructed the older children of the nearby villagers who had moved into her and InuYasha's village. It had been at least a month since the repairs had been completed and the recruits moved in. She smiled at the group of kids and sighed. "Go on. You showed progress so get out of here and have some fun, but stick together."

The village kids shouted out with joy and ran off to the fort entrance to swim in the deeper part of the creek upstream. Sango smiled as she scanned her village to see life in it again. The running children, cooking mothers, and farming fathers were a welcomed sight to her.

"What do you mean we have to get more soil?" InuYasha could be heard growling a few houses away. Sango sighed softly, sweat dropping, and glanced over to where the commotion was coming from. InuYasha was arguing with a hanyou recruit's elderly mother, and the two were glaring at each other. "We've gathered twenty pots of soil from Jinengi's old man's farm! The soil that's already here is good for farming so how much more can you need!?!"

"You little runt, it's not the soil, it's the memories that are important!" Jinengi's mother spat.

"Well, fine! Explain that to the men who've been transporting _dirt_!" InuYasha exclaimed as Sango came up behind him.

"InuYasha…" Sango started when rustling could be heard from the nearby shed.

The giant of a hanyou, Jinengi, came out of the hut he and his mother had recently moved into. Without a word, he took one of the giant pots of soil and poured it into the tilled area for his garden.

"No, Ma. What we have is more than enough," Jinengi said softly, looking back at the spectators. Then, he grabbed another pot and poured it as he did the one before. "I don't want to put them through anymore trouble. InuYasha and Sango have already done more than enough for us."

His mother looked at Jinengi for a moment then sighed. "Fine, fine. If that's how you want it, Jinengi," she said as she came over to help her son.

InuYasha snorted and rubbed under his nose as he walked off with Sango right behind him. "At least Jinengi understands there are other things that are more important than his herbs."

"I don't know, InuYasha. I mean, yes, his herbs are potent and his size is intimidating, but is Jinengi really a fighter? He seems so passive," Sango whispered, glancing back at the two farmers.

Inu stopped and faced Sango. "Believe me, Sango, Jinengi may look like he wouldn't hurt a fly, but if there's danger, he'll definitely put a dent in the enemy's forces."

Sango blinked at InuYasha's confidence in the recruit and sighed. "Alright, if you say so…"

"Lady Sango! Master InuYasha!" some of the children exclaimed, running to the two leaders of the village.

"Kirara's back, and she's brought a priestess!" a young village orphan girl exclaimed, smiling. The young girl was actually Inu and Sango's first volunteer to live in their village. She was about ten years old, had medium length black hair that tied in the same fashion as Sango's, and dark brown eyes.

Sango smiled and kneeled down to face the young girl. "Thank you, Hanna."

"Yeah. Now go see if Jinengi and his mother need your help," Inu instructed her with a hint of softness to the command.

Hanna smiled and bowed. "Yes, Master!" Hanna exclaimed and ran off to her task.

Sango smiled as she watched the young girl run and nudged InuYasha gently. "You've developed a soft spot for her."

Inu snorted. "Don't be ridiculous, Sango. She works hard and does what we tell her, and I appreciate it, that's all."

Sango sighed, smiling. "Whatever you say, InuYasha."

InuYasha snorted again and started off towards the fort entrance where Kirara had landed. Sango followed, quickly catching up to his side. When they reached the fort entrance, a crowd was already around Kirara and Kaede who was still on her back. Smiling softly, Kaede slowly climbed down the two-tailed cat.

One of the village men came forward and bowed respectful. "Lady priestess, it is an honor to have you visit our village. What duty may we assist you in?"

The old priestess smiled and chuckled softly. "Tis no duty that brings me here. I'm purely here to visit dear friends." She rubbed Kirara's large head, making her mew. "T'was this one who summoned me."

"Kaede! You came!" Sango's voice snapped Kaede's attention to the young exterminator, and she beamed to see the long, lost hanyou by Sango's side.

Using her bow to support her, Kaede quickly made her way through the crowd and latched hold of the young couple, surprising both of them, InuYasha especially.

"Uh, Kaede?" InuYasha inquired.

"Hush! You're lucky I'm hugging you, you stubborn boy! Were I a younger woman, I'd throttle you to the ground for worrying me over your safety these past months!" she exclaimed with a harsh tone, but her elderly smile betrayed her scolding.

InuYasha snorted, looking away, but softly said, "Sorry, Kaede."

Kaede blinked wide eyes and looked at InuYasha, then Sango. "My dear Sango! How did ye do it!?!"

"Do what, Lady Kaede?" Sango asked, blinking confused.

"The InuYasha I know would never apologize so thoughtfully. What has happened that would cause such a change in attitude?" Kaede asked, studying Inu's face.

"Oh, that. Well…" Sango came closer to the hanyou's side and took his clawed hand in hers, making him blush and avoid eye contact with the other villagers. "Some things have changed."

Kaede looked at the show of affection that was so odd for both youngsters and nodded understandingly. "I see," she said softly. "So what would a young couple such as ye want from a visit from me?"

InuYasha and Sango blushed at the expected answer to that question, but Sango quickly shook it off. "Actually, we were wondering…" She took the old priestess' hands. "if you would come live with us, Kaede? There's so much good you could help us with here, and we have missed you and worried about you."

Kaede sighed and shook her head. "Alas, ye ask for the one thing I cannot do. My village needs me, and they cannot move to this village. The trip is too long and dangerous for the little ones, and they are not ones for change."

Sango sighed sadly and downcast her brown eyes. "So you've made up your mind about this."

She nodded. "And put my foot down on the matter. However…"

"However?" InuYasha repeated, trying to hide his own disappointment.

Kaede smiled softly and took the young couple's joined hands in her own. "However, I can marry ye."

Both Sango and InuYasha blushed beet red at the suggestion. "Wh-What?!" InuYasha stammered in shock.

Kaede sighed but remained patient. "As I understand it, InuYasha, dog demons do not have so called _weddings_ but mating ceremonies where the young couple become life-long mates. However a beautiful thing, it is not the same thing for a human maiden, who has dreamt of her wedding day since childhood, is it, Sango?" she asked, glancing at Sango's rose-colored cheeks. "I imagine that Sango is like any other girl and would like to have a wedding of her own before becoming your mate, InuYasha."

"Uh?" InuYasha looked over at Sango's blushing face and shimmering eyes. The look in her eyes contrasted so vividly to her battle armor that InuYasha was momentarily stunned. "Sango?"

"InuYasha, I-"

She was shushed when he took both her hands and held them to his hard, warm chest. "Sango, would you? Would you be my wife _and_ mate?"

Blushing but not looking away, Sango's eyes shimmered more as she silently nodded. "Yes. Yes, InuYasha, I will marry you and be your wife and mate. I'll bear your children." Surprising herself, she felt tears running down her face, and she jumped into InuYasha's arms, surprising him. "I'll marry you!" she exclaimed, causing their village to gasp and stare at the uncharacteristic acts of their leaders.

At first wide-eyed, InuYasha held her close and closed his eyes, breathing in her sweet scent. "And I'll marry you, Sango."

Kaede smiled amusingly and turned to the crowd of onlookers. "What are ye looking at? One of ye asked of what help ye can be of me, and here it is! We have much to do for there will be a wedding in the center of the village at sunset!"

The women crowed around the leaders and pulled Sango away. "Come along, Lady Sango!" one of the women exclaimed. "We have only a few short hours before sunset to get you ready."

"Wh-What?" Sango blushed, trying to look back at InuYasha only to see him being ushered away by the men in the opposite direction.

When the crowd was gone, Kaede stood alone for a moment until she spied Hanna shyly watching her a distance away behind a shed. Smiling, the priestess waved her over, and the child obediently came to her. "What is your name, child?"

"I am called Hanna, Lady Kaede. I am Lady Sango and Master InuYasha's squire and am at your service," Hanna said respectfully as she bowed.

Kaede chuckled. "Such a good-minded child. Well, Hanna, since you are the closest one to those two here, will you assist me and Kirara prepare for tonight?"

Hanna beamed and ran off, leading the elderly woman into the village. "Of course, my lady!"

Kaede chuckled again and followed the young girl. 'When I return home and Kagome and the others ask, I'll keep this and his whereabouts to myself. It will be interesting to have them discover the newlyweds for themselves,' she thought, smiling to herself, deeply amused.

"Where are they?" InuYasha growled nervously to Kaede a few moments before sunset. The sky was just starting to turn rose color as the sun started to set in the West. "How long does it take to bathe and change clothes?"

"Be patient, InuYasha. A woman wants to be beautiful on her wedding day, both for her soon-to-be husband and herself, so calm yourself. Besides, it didn't take you mere moments to get ready either," Kaede said, glancing at him.

InuYasha snorted and looked at the setting sun. After taking a thorough bath, InuYasha found that his fire cloth kimono was replaced by the formal ceremonial kimono he was wearing now. The fabric was of fine black silk that contrasted dramatically with his silver hair and amber eyes. His long hair was tied back in a thick, high ponytail that was tied with a matching black ribbon. Man was that a tedious errand. Brushing his hair turned out to take the better part of an hour and made InuYasha, on several occasions, force back tears of pain as Jinengi's mother brushed out tangle after tangle. The hanyou was thoroughly convinced that the old woman enjoyed the task as simple payback for the fight they had had earlier that day. Inu snorted again before hearing small footsteps running towards them.

All of a sudden, a clean and nicely dressed Hanna appeared by Inu's side, smiling. "Master! Lady Sango is coming!" she panted, still smiling.

Suddenly nervous, InuYasha couldn't reply back to the little child as he looked around, searching for Sango, and sniffed the air to try to find her scent. At the sight, Kaede sighed.

"Yea, child, stand by your master's side to be the official witness," she instructed Hanna.

"Yes, ma'am," the young girl nodded and stood straight next to InuYasha's side. She looked in the same direction as the dog hanyou as the fellow villagers gathered around. Hanna smiled and waved at Jinengi, who stood in the back with his great size not blocking anyone's view. Then, the young orphan girl stood even taller with pride as the villagers started to part to let her lady through from the shadowed huts.

"She comes," Kaede murmured softly.

"Huh?" InuYasha blinked and turned to see Sango form emerge into the lighten village square as she was escorted by Kirara who walked in front of her mistress

Blushing softly, the demon exterminator looked the part of a princess bride as she made her way slowly to where InuYasha, Kaede, and Hanna now stood. Her long, dark brown hair was down and free of any binding as it cascaded down her small back. The lit torches and setting sun highlighted her locks with different shaded of browns as she neared them. Her usual kimono was replaced by an extravagant wedding kimono one of the village women had to have lent to her for the ceremony. The kimono was made from white silk with pale pink peach blossoms sewn around the bottom hem of the kimono.

Seeing Sango like this, InuYasha's blush darkened, and he couldn't take his eyes off of her. When she finally reached him, InuYasha took her hand and guided her steps towards him as they both blushed at the sight of one another.

Standing there with her, there was so much InuYasha wanted to say to Sango. There was so much he wanted to ask. "Sango…"

Sango looked up into his eyes with her own clear brown ones and nodded. "Yes…" They were gone then. All the questions, doubts, and fears Inu had before were gone with that simple look, that simple word.

Then, they vaguely heard Kaede begin the wedding ceremony and Kirara's happy mew, and they felt the eyes of all the villagers on them. Despite their training to be demon exterminators, these people were still happy, normal villagers who loved to be part of ceremonies and events, and despite them being under the leadership of Sango and InuYasha for less than a month, they already considered them family, close friends, and allies. InuYasha tightened his hold on Sango's hand lovingly through the ceremony, and the two lovers looked into each other's eyes at peace. It was Kaede's voice that brought their attention back to what was going on around them.

Kaede had pulled out a white, silk ribbon and wrapped it around their joined hands, tying it tightly to secure the knot as she spoke. "Tis ribbon symbolizes this union. It symbolizes the love these young ones share that will keep together and happy forever. Nevermore shall InuYasha and Sango feel loneliness, betrayal, sadness, or fatigue as long as they have each other to hold them up." The old priestess paused for a moment before looking at InuYasha. "InuYasha, do you promise to share your life with Sango; to help her when she falls; to love her forever, no matter what may come?"

Gulping softly, InuYasha nodded. "I do…. I swear it."

Kaede smiled softly and turned to Sango. "And do you, Sango, promise to share your life with InuYasha; to help him when he falls; to love him forever, no matter what may come?"

Blushing and with shimmering eyes, Sango nodded. "I do and swear it as well."

Kaede chuckled and shook her head. "At first, you were two separate warrior hearts, and now, you enter this night joined. Bound to even a warrior's oath tonight, you are now a single warrior's heart…. I now pronounce you… husband and wife. InuYasha, you may now kiss your bride."

Still blushing but so relieved that nothing had come to ruin this night, he bent over slightly and tilted his head to meet Sango's soft lips. Although they both would have preferred to make the kiss last longer, the applause and cheers from their village made them shy and break the kiss sooner than usual.

The festivities after the wedding went on deep into the night. Laughter was a pleasant sound as everyone danced around the fires and chanted old songs and melodies. Fine rice wine was passed to everyone, and the children happily ate sweet rice balls to their little hearts content. The younger boys longed to dance with Sango just as the girls did with InuYasha to daydream their own far off wedding days.

Frequently through the night, Sango and InuYasha were spied off to the side, away from the festivities, holding each other close and kissing sweetly. It was during one of those said moments that Kaede strayed from the other villagers to the young couple. Realizing she wouldn't get their attention so easily, she coughed roughly, making them jump and turn towards her.

"Kaede? What is it?" Sango asked, blinking.

"Tis nothing much. I merely wish to give you my wedding present," Kaede said softly as she came closer.

"Oh, but you've done too much already," InuYasha said, surprising both women by his soft words.

Kaede regained her composure and smiled. "Believe me, InuYasha. Tis is a gift you will enjoy most of all." With that, she raised her hands to his collar. InuYasha flinched as he felt her pulled on the subjugation rosary beads around his neck Then, the sound of a mere normal string snapping and the clatter of beads hitting the ground made both InuYasha and Sango gasp.

With wide eyes, they stared at the scattered beads on the ground with pale smoke coming from each bead. They looked up and stared at Kaede in shock.

"I figured I should end the spell I placed on you to begin with. Even if all those beads were to be gathered up together again, it would be of no use. There is no more power in those mere marbles now," Kaede explained, turning away from them to return to the ceremony.

"Kaede…" Inu called, stepping toward her.

"Neh? What are you gawking at, silly boy? You two should get going. Tis late."

"Huh?" Sango blushed.

"No one should miss you should you leave now. Hanna and I shall stay with Jinengi and his mother tonight so there shall be no worries," Kaede said offhandedly, waving them off.

"But-" Sango was cut off by InuYasha suddenly pulling her to him. "InuYasha?"

"Kaede's right. If we ever want to be alone tonight we had better leave now while everyone's drunk on saki," InuYasha explained with a slight bit of nervousness in his voice.

"A-Alright," Sango stammered, letting InuYasha guide her through the dark alleys of their village to their own hut, their home.

When they got there, InuYasha lit one of the oil lamps and turned to face his bride. Sango stood near him with a hard blush on her face. Gently, the hanyou took Sango into his arms, causing her to gasp and stiffen softly. However, she quickly relaxed and returned the embrace, burying her face into his chest.

"InuYasha…."

"Yes, Beloved?"

"…. I want you to know… that I've never… done anything with Miroku…." She blushed harder after admitting her innocence.

InuYasha held her tighter. "I know. And I've been with no one as well."

"Not even Kikyo?"

"Not even Kikyo," he admitted. "I'm yours and yours alone."

Sango smiled, greatly relieved. "I love you, InuYasha."

InuYasha smiled and pulled her down with him to their now shared bed mat. "And I love you too," he breathed before laying Sango down and kissing her softly on the lips.

Author's Afterword: I just want to give a big thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed "A Warrior's Heart." This being my very first fanfic, I'm psyched at the support you guys have given me so far. Again, I apologize for not updating sooner, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Kagome, Miroku, and the others will have a nice little surprise in the very near future, neh? Keep reading, folks! Action and drama are in near sights!

Also, I want to take the time to also say that this chappie took a little longer to write because I had some help with ideas for Kaede's proposal and _wedding gift_ from a fellow author, _multitude_, who I actually know personally from college. He's a great writer and friend, and his story "Letting Go" is up and running in the M rated SanxInu section of this website. Problem is, he's a bit slow updating, so let's put a fire under him, shall we?

I told you I'd do it, multitude. (Heh-Heh)


	11. Chapter 11

Author's Note: CALL OFF THE LYNCH MOB! MYA'S BACK! I'm so sorry readers for not updating sooner! I have two college summer classes (World Lit. and Microeconomics) that are taking up most of my time. Between that, transferring to an university, babysitting three days out of the week, and my brother hogging the phone line, I have hardly had anytime off to work much on "A Warrior's Heart." However, I know these aren't good excuses, but I didn't want to update and only leave an apology letter. THAT WOULD PEEVED YOU ALL OFF!! And I don't want that.

Special shout out to VFSNAKE, who inspired me today to get off my lazy butt today. So without further ado, here's Chapter 11. -Love, Mya G. .

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha.

Chapter 11

Splashes of crystal clear rain over Kaede as she bathed. Wearing only a white kimono, Kaede poured a bucket of water over her already drenched body as the waterfall crashed on the boulders below. It had been nearly a week since she had left the revived demon exterminator village. Sighing, she refilled the bucket as she reflected.

__

"It's up to you, Kaede. Tell them or let them find out for themselves. Either way they'll come here and find out," InuYasha told her.

"True, but Kagome is determined to have you join them once more, and Miroku seeks Sango's hand," she responded.

"No!" Hanna exclaimed, terribly upset. "They can't take Master InuYasha and Lady Sango from us! I won't let them!"

"Hanna, calm yourself. InuYasha and I aren't going anywhere." Sango faced Kaede, looking her straight in the eye. "I say let them come and get their just deserts."

Pouring the refilled bucket over her again, Kaede sighed. 'Are they seeking to break the hearts that so harshly broke their own? Oh, InuYasha, Sango, what are ye thinking?'

When the bushes behind her started to shake, Kaede turned around sharply. "Who comes!?"

"Kaede!" Kagome's voice called from behind the bushes. "Kaede, it's me!"

After a few moments, Kagome tore through the thick branches with more than a few twigs and leaves in her hair. The young priestess chuckled awkwardly at her obvious appearance and started picking the debris form her hair.

"Oh, Kagome, what a surprise. I was just thinking about you," Kaede said pleasantly.

"Yeah? I came up here when the villagers told us you were taking a bath," Kagome explained. "The fellas are still there and waiting for me. I just wanted to know if you had heard anything from Sango or InuYasha since we left last time."

Kaede paused for a moment, torn over what to do. '… Let them discover it themselves,' she decided mentally.

"Have ye tried Sango's village?" she asked simply, pouring the last bucket full of water over her back.

Without facing Kagome, she could hear the girl sigh sadly. "He hasn't been back, at all?"

"That would be correct, but I assure you, Kagome, he is alright," the old priestess said in all honesty. "You know how InuYasha is. He's too stubborn to get himself killed."

"Yeah, I guess your right," Kagome said sadly, biting her thumbnail.

Kaede sighed and stood up to face Kagome. "Kagome, take my advice and go ask Sango if she has received any word from him."

"Yes…. If nothing else, we should see Sango after not seeing her for some time either," Kagome nodded as she absently followed Kaede down the hidden path to the village.

Hanna turned over and over in her bed as sweat beaded at her brow. She squeezed Kirara tightly in her arms, and the little kitten mewed softly in discomfort. Kirara was able to escape Hanna's arms and crept quietly onto the child's chest. The poor cat demon could only mew and pat at Hanna's cheek as the young girl tried to fight off her dreams.

__

"Hanna! Come back here, you little thief!" one of the village men shouted as a group of men chased her to her adoptive village.

__

"Twasn't me!" Hanna cried, looking back.

Horror filled her heart when she saw they had their hoes and sticks with them. These men were ready for the impending beating ahead of her for a crime she didn't commit.

__

"Twasn't me!" she repeated.

She ran to the village, hoping she could escape her pursuers in the crowd. The rocks on rough ground outside the village were sharp and bit her soft feet. Hanna winced as her feet cried out in pain. She chanced back another look to see she still had a good distance from them. As she entered the village, she looked back again, and she tripped, falling to the hard ground. The sharp rocks scraped her arms and legs and ripped a hole in her already tattered, blue kimono. Without a second thought, Hanna got up and started to run off again. However, the slap of a pole against her back brought her back to the ground.

"Insolent brat!" the man from before yelled, jabbing his pole into her shoulder repeatedly.

"How dare you steal from the rice fields, you dirty wench!?" another yelled. A crowd was starting to form around them, but no one said a word.

"The village goes through the trouble of keeping you fed, clothed, and protected from demons, and you steal from us!"

She screamed as one off the poles was pushed into the back off her leg and twisted. The men snickered, and the deed was repeated into her other leg. Still, no one came to her aid.

"Aaaaahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!" Hanna screamed as tears streamed down her face. The tears cleaned her dirty face in thin streaks, but the dust in the air from the scuffling just clung to the wet trails.

The pain ceased, and she was roughly pulled up by her collar and into the face of one of the men. "Don't do it again, or it'll be your neck." He raised his hand to slap her.

Hanna flinched, but the contact never came. A murmur and sense of panic started to grow from the surrounding crowd, and people started to flee.

"H-Hey!"

"There's nothing that infuriates me more than men who get their kicks by beating children," a gruff voice said… growling, "and the people who just watch as it happens."

She chanced a look and saw a young man with long, silver hair digging his nails into the flesh of the man's raised arm. It wasn't until she saw a small trail of blood flowing down the villager's trembling arm that she realized the silver-haired man's nails were really claws. The young man's eyes burned an amber color as the villager fell to his knees, and the others started backing away.

"InuYasha! You've made your point!" a young woman's voice exclaimed calmly.

Hanna looked over to see the young woman walk up to them. Hanna gasped, recognizing her clothes to be that of a demon exterminator's armor. Her dark brown hair was tied up high in a ponytail, and she carried a huge boomerang over her shoulder. Next to her was a giant cat demon.

The woman walked past the nervous men and villagers, right up to the hanyou. "InuYasha, don't waste your efforts on cannon fodder like these men."

InuYasha snorted. "You men_ swear to never touch the girl again?" he asked with sarcasm on one word._

"Yes! We swear it!" the man in his grip yelped, wide-eyed.

InuYasha snorted and released him, letting the villager fall to the ground. With trembling eyes, the men screamed and ran into the crowd of scattering villagers. When everyone was gone, InuYasha growled, crossing his arms irritably over his chest.

"We had better move along, Sango," she heard the man say. "There's no need to ask if anyone around here is willing to fight demons. Nothing here but a bunch of child beaters anyway."

Sango nodded and sighed as the hanyou wrapped a protective arm around her shoulders. "Yes, there's no room for attitudes like that among the exterminators. We should just leave," she sighed as they turned around.

Hanna gasped and limped quickly behind them, grasping the woman's sash. "W-Wait."

"Hmm…" The two adults looked down at the small girl in confusion.

"Is there something you need?" Sango asked softly.

"Don't worry, kid. They won't come after you anymore," InuYasha said.

"No…. To be a demon exterminator… How do I join?" Hanna asked meekly.

"Are you serious?" InuYasha raised an eyebrow.

Hanna nodded vigorously.

Sango smiled kindly and kneeled down to her eye level. "Won't your parents miss you?"

Hanna shook her head. "My parents are dead. I have no family." She clenched her fists. "I'll work very hard! I promise I will!"

InuYasha kneeled down next to Sango and looked the girl in the eye. Hanna gulped but wasn't frightened as she looked back into his amber eyes with her brown ones. "Are you willing to put your life on the line and fight demonic snakes, centipedes, spiders, bears, and any other demon?"

Determined, Hanna nodded. "I will. I'll be the best demon exterminator ever!"

Sango smiled. "Congratulations. You are our first recruit."

Hanna smiled and bowed, despite the pain she was in. "I look forward to serve under you…" She paused, trying to remember the names she had heard. "Master InuYasha and Lady Sango."

"No formalities," Inu sighed, picking her up to relieve the pressure in her legs. "We should probably take you back to our village to treat you wounds, right, Sango?"

Sango nodded, smiling and wrapping one of her cut and bruised legs with her sash. "Is there anything you need from here?"

Hanna shook her head. "No. Take me with you."

Hanna woke up suddenly from her dream and sat up, knocking a shocked Kirara to her lap. Rubbing at her eyes, she looked around to get her bearings and realized she was in the hut she shared with Sango and InuYasha. Slightly relaxed, she was still shaken up by her memory and hugged herself.

'All that for a bit of rice that was misplaced,' she thought bitterly.

The young girl grew uncomfortable again, alone in her section of the hut. With Kirara mewling, she picked the cat up and went silently towards her master and lady's room. The night sky was pitch dark with the new moon, and Hanna had to be careful to not trip over something and wake anyone up.

When she reached the room, Hanna quietly slid back the rice paper screen to reveal InuYasha and Sango sleeping peacefully in each other's arms. Hanna came in on her tiptoes. She knew her master wouldn't hear her so easily tonight, the night he became fully human, but she also knew he still had excellent hearing. As she crept closer, she saw both of their long, dark locks resting on their pillows and mixed together so she couldn't the where one's hair ended and where the other's began.

Easily, she scooted under their thin blanket and crawled in between them. She nestled herself comfortably in Sango's clothed arms and against Inu's bare chest. Hanna breathed in deeply, taking in their clean scents. When they had sneaked off to bathe she had no idea, but she loved their clean, comforting scents.

"Eeep!" she squeaked when she felt the arms around her tighten.

"Hanna?" Sango questioned sleepily, stroking her hair. "What's wrong?"

"Bad dream," she whispered. "Can I stay here tonight?"

"Well…"

"Let her stay, Sango," Inu said with his eyes still closed. He wrapped his arms around both of them more securely. "She and Kirara have both made themselves comfortable. Let them stay here for the night."

Both Sango and Hanna looked up to see Kirara had indeed nestled herself in InuYasha's thick hair and was already fast asleep. Hanna looked up at Sango with pleading eyes.

"Please, Lady Sango?"

Sango sighed softly, but stroked back her hair lovingly. "Alright then," she consented, closing her eyes again to sleep.

Hanna smiled and turned to thank InuYasha but halted when she saw he had already fallen back to sleep. She smiled sweetly though and leaned over, giving him a peck on the cheek and did the same with Sango. However, as she lay down, Hanna was troubled. What Lady Kaede said about people coming to take her lady and master had been bothering her for about a week now. Frowning softly, she settled into the protecting arms and nestled her face into the now human man's chest.

'I won't let those people take them away. They can't have Mama and Papa.'


	12. Chapter 12

Author's Apology: I'M SO SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING SOONER! I know it's not fair to all of you after you've given me great reviews. I've started University life, and tonight is the first night in 4 weeks that I've have no work after classes and could work on this story. I apologize again, and I hope this chapter makes up for my slowness in updating. Just to let you know, I will TRY to do better with updating, but if I am slow updating again, I haven't forgotten this story. My professors just give me a lot of homework. I hope you enjoy the story. –Love, Mya G.

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha or any of its characters, just Hanna. Short, sweet, and to the point.

Chapter 12

"Hanna!" InuYasha called out the next morning.

The dog hanyou wandered through the village, searching for the ten-year-old. The little girl had woken up early and had snuck out of the hut without a word, which was fine, but it was time for her sparring lesson.

'Where did she go?' he thought slightly worried now after going through the entire village without a single sign of her.

Certain that Hanna was nowhere to be found in the village, he decided to ask the villagers. When he wandered to Jinengi's garden plot, he saw the giant hanyou weeding his garden.

"Jinengi, have you seen Hanna?" Inu asked, jumping on top of a fence post.

"Hmmm?" Jinengi halted in his morning chore and looked up with his huge, blue eyes. "Oh, good morning, InuYasha. Yes, I've seen her. Hanna-chan asked me if she could borrow one of our hoes."

"A hoe?" Inu blinked in his crotched position. "What does she want a hoe for?"

"She didn't say. When I handed it to her, she said her thanks and ran off that way to the forest," the giant of a hanyou said, pointing out towards the fort entrance. He caught sight of a weed and pulled it up by the roots.

"Alright," Inu sighed, looking in the pointed direction. He hollered his thanks and made his way down the fence until it ran by the fort. He jumped the fort wall and landed easily on the ground. "Where are you, Hanna?" he asked out loud, sniffing the air.

After a few moments, he caught a whiff and followed the familiar scent until he heard his student's familiar voice as she grunted. His ears twitched when he heard the sound of something metal breaking ground. He parted the nearby bushes, and he blinked to see the girl covered in dirt and sweat as she dug a small hole with her back to him. InuYasha stayed silent and leaned against a nearby tree as he watched her take a bundle of branches and leaves and cover the hole. Now curious of what exactly she was doing, he looked around and noticed about half a dozen more camouflaged holes all over the surrounding area.

"What are you doing?" he asked suddenly.

"Eep!" Hanna jumped from fright and twirled around. She was truly a sight to behold. Her kimono was covered in dirt and grass, and dirt covered her legs up to her legs. "P-Papa!"

Inu smiled, raising an eyebrow, and came forward. Careful of where he set his foot, he kneeled down in front of the girl. "Silly girl, what are you doing?"

With a faint blush, Hanna held the hoe out for him to take. "Umm… I was… digging traps, Papa."

"Traps, huh?" InuYasha smirked, looking around. "What's your prey?"

"…" Hanna grumbled something.

Inu smiled and leaned forward. "What was that?"

"Barely dresses witches and lecherous monks," Hanna admitted softly.

The dog hanyou blinked wide, amber eyes at his student and suddenly erupted with laughter. Hanna's blush darkened when he grabbed his side from laughing so hard.

Still snickering, InuYasha wiped the small tears that had gathered in his eyelashes. He held the girl's shoulders softly, his own shoulders still shaking. "Sango's right. You have been spending too much time with me." The hanyou took a deep, settling breath. "So… you do realize that someone could break their ankle walking through here, right?"

Hanna nodded. "That was the plan."

"Oh, yeah? What would happen if someone from home came across your little traps?" Inu asked. The young lowered her head in shame, but InuYasha pet her head softly. "Hey, don't worry about it, huh? This side of the fort is awfully steep when you stray from the path. No one enters through here anyway."

"So can I keep digging?!" Hanna asked with a bright smile. Inu sighed and thumped her nose. "Ow!"

"Now I wouldn't be lecturing you if you could, would I? Just stop while you're ahead." Hanna sullenly nodded her head. "Alright then. Climb on; it's time for your lesson."

"Yes, Papa," Hanna said, obediently jumping onto his offered back.

"Hey, kid, what's with the 'Papa; stuff anyway?" the dog hanyou asked gruffly with a slight blush.

"I… got tired of calling you 'Master' and Mama 'Lady,'" Hanna explained with a small unseen blush on her own.

"Mama!? Does Sango know this?" Inu asked, wide-eyed.

"Mmm-hmm. Is that wrong of me?" Hanna asked softly.

"…." With a darker blush, InuYasha smiled softly. "No. No, it's okay, Hanna." He heard Hanna giggle and felt her snuggle on his back. At the show of affection, InuYasha's blush slowly faded, and without another word, he jumped off to the sparring area.

"Come on, Hanna!" InuYasha challenged, swinging a wooden sparring katana. "You have to _block_!"

Hanna gasped and defended herself from Inu's strike with the fake sword. "I am!" she gasped out. She gasped again when InuYasha struck again.

"With confidence, Hanna!" the hanyou stressed. He struck her wooden katana again and added pressure against her. Hanna grunted and tried to push back against InuYasha. "Push me off, Hanna!"

"Ugh! Y-You're too heavy!" Hanna exclaimed.

"A demon in battle won't take pity on you just because you're a child!" InuYasha added more pressure against the girl. "It'll pick you out first for your small size, Hanna! You have to be able to defend yourself cause just like the rest of the children, there will be times when you won't be protected by me and Sango!"

With sweat streaming down her forehead, Hanna tried to push back again, but she found her efforts in vain. Suddenly, she slid her 'sword' along InuYasha's and swung for his ankle. InuYasha jumped back however and landed safely a few feet away.

"Good!" InuYasha exclaimed truly impressed. "I'd say that deserves an early break."

At the very suggestion, Hanna sighed with relief and fell to the ground, exhausted. "I'm tired!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah, yeah," InuYasha muttered, nudging her with his toes. "Why don't you go swimming with the other girls to cool off?"

"Okay!" The girl instantly jumped up and ran off to gather the other girls.

InuYasha sighed and unceremoniously sat on the landing of his hut. His white eats twitched, hearing the paper screen open and Sango's footsteps walk towards him. Then, Kirara jumped into his lap.

"You work her hard," Sango said with admiration in her tone as she sat down. "Hanna has come along way from when she first arrived here with us."

InuYasha grunted and rotated his shoulder. "She's still got a ways to go before she can slay demons, even teamed in a group."

"Well, of course. I didn't start until I was just a season shy of being twelve," Sango informed him. The demon exterminator smiled coyly as she leaned her head on Inu's shoulder. "However, it doesn't change the fact that she seeks only to please her Papa."

A blush instantly brightened the dog hanyou's face. "Why _does_ she call me that now?" he asked, not really expecting an answer.

"The same reason why she now calls me Mama. It's because she sees us as her parents now," Sango explained.

Inu snorted as he lay on his side, he head resting in his palm. Kirara mewed irritably as she fell from her perch and jumped into Sango's lap. "Are we really the parenting types, Sango? In mean… not once did I ever see myself as a father."

Sweat dropping, Sango raised her eyebrow and sighed. "Really? Well, you've certainly perfected it."

InuYasha blinked. "What does that mean?"

Before Sango could answer, Hanna came back with a group of girls. "We're going swimming!" she exclaimed as they raced past them.

"No boys!" Inu yelled after them, making the older girls blush and giggle. Inu grunted and laid back down. He side-glanced at Sango, who was smiling coyly. "What?"

"_No boys!_" Sango taunted, imitating his voice. "Admit it, InuYasha. You look at Hanna and see the same thing as I do, our own flesh and blood."

InuYasha snorted but blushed. "I guess," he muttered.

Sango smiled and shifted over to scratch behind his ears. I thought so."

Meanwhile….

"Grr…. I just _do not_ believe this!" Koga growled angrily, as he carried an injured Miroku on his back.

Miroku was not happy with this arrangement either, not at all. Going up the hill, he had a little mishap and had badly twisted his ankle. 'Stupid hole,' Miroku thought.

Sweat dropping, Kagome led them on. "We're almost there. Just hold on for a few more moments."

Trailing behind them, Shippo shook his head in dismay. 'Figures,' the kitsune fox thought, 'We come this far without any trouble, but as soon as we come within sight of Sango's village, Miroku falls into a dug up hole.' He opened his emerald eyes with a smirk gracing his lips. 'Good technique though, camouflaging their handiwork with leaves and sticks. I'm impressed.'

His and Koga's ears twitched when they heard the loud sounds of splashing water. An instinctual growl came from Koga, and Shippo blinked sniffing the air.

"Humans are nearby," Koga informed them, "We're close."

"How close?" Kagome asked.

The wolf's ears twitched again, and he sniffed the wind. Walking through a cluster of bushes, he responded, "Close."

Curious, Shippo jumped onto Kagome's shoulder. However, Kagome's mind was distracted as she walked absently. 'I'm looking forward to seeing Sango, but… How do I ask a friend I haven't seen in so long where another friend is?' she thought, grimacing, 'That seems so rude. Ugh…. What will I even say when we do find InuYasha?'

Vaguely, she heard the sounds of young laughter and splashing growing louder and louder.

"Ha! Ha! Aaahhh!! Stop it, guys!" a young girl squealed, making Kagome snap out of it.

The feminine laughter of other older girls rang. "Oh! Hanna-chan! Hold your breath!"

More squealing laugher rung through the air. At this development, Miroku smiled and chuckled. "Koga, you can put me down now."

The wolf blinked and raised an eyebrow. "What? A few moments ago you could hardly walk!"

"Ah… Yes, but the call of women makes me strong at heart, and with that, I can move on," the monk sighed wistfully, climbing off of a sweat dropping Koga.

"Aren't you supposed to be here to apologize to Sango and win her back?" Kagome asked, gaping at him wide-eyed.

"Idiot," Shippo mumbled.

A thought hit Kagome all of a sudden as Miroku parted some bushes. "Ladies…"

If there were women splashing around in the water, then…."MIROKU, WAI-"

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!! HENTAI!!!"

Screams erupted through the air as Kagome pushed pass Koga and reached where Miroku was to see the young preteen and teenaged girls run away from the river, clutching their kimonos closed. The youngest of the girls was behind them and tripped over a root, falling to the ground.

"Oh! Are you alright!?" Kagome ran up to the trembling girl.

As Kagome came closer, so did the men. Hanna's eyes shimmered, and she clutched her kimono closed over her chest, seeing the peeping tom crotch down next to her. "PAPA!!!!!!!!!!!" the young girl screamed, making Kagome and Miroku jump back in shock. "PAPAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!! HELP ME!!!!"

"Papa?" Kagome repeated as Miroku turned blue at the face from Hanna's fear of him.

"HANNA!!!" The bushes parted, and a red streak flew to the scene. Before they knew it, Miroku was slammed into the ground, and InuYasha had the Tetseiga at the monk's throat. InuYasha planted his foot on Miroku's chest, holding him down painfully to the ground, snarling.

"I-InuYasha…." Kagome whispered in shock.

Tears sprang to Hanna's eyes. She sprung to her feet and ran to InuYasha, clutching the hanyou's waist. "Papa!!" she sobbed, burring her face into Inu's kimono.

The bushes around them parted, and the other men from the village appeared, carrying hoes, swords, and other slaying weapons. Behind them were the other girls who were swimming in the stream.

"That's him!" one the girls cried out, pointing at Miroku. "That's the man who was peeping at us when we were swimming!"

"Don't let his appearance fool you! He's a pervert dressed in a monk's robes!" another girl exclaimed.

Hanna continued to cry. "Papa, he nearly got me!" She pointed at Kagome, who suddenly grew very pale. "She was trying to catch me for him, Papa!"

Kagome gasped. "That's not true! InuYasha, it's us! You know we wouldn't do that!"

InuYasha snorted and removed the Tetseiga from Miroku's throat. As he sheathed it, Hanna looked at him in surprise. "Papa?"

"Pull back, everyone! There's no danger." Sighing, he turned to the young girls and their fathers. "Sango and I know them."

"Are you sure, InuYasha?" one of the men asked.

"Yeah. The monk might be a peeping tom who needs the occasional beating, but he wouldn't hurt a woman." Gently, the hanyou rubbed Hanna's head. He sniffed and looked to see a small stream of blood on Hanna's ankle. "Are you alright, Hanna?" he asked, kneeling down to inspect the cut.

Hanna winced slightly. "I tripped over a root when I was running away."

"Hmm. It's strained," he sighed, taking off his fire rat kimono and wrapping around Hanna's small form. Gently, the young man scooped Hanna in his arms, and Hanna wrapped her arms around his neck. "Come on, men. Lets get the girls back to the village." He looked down at Hanna. "Sango will want to look at your leg."

Hanna nodded and snuggled in Inu's arms.

Kagome gasped and shot up as InuYasha passed them. "InuYasha!"

Hanna blinked and looked at the girl, but InuYasha ignored her and walked on.

"InuYasha…." Kagome stared at the hanyou in shock. "InuYasha, can we-"

InuYasha halted momentarily. "Do what you want?" he said without turning back to look at any of them.

A half hour later, there was an awkward silence as Sango inspected Miroku's ankle. Hanna was sitting in InuYasha's lap with her ankle already treated. Hanna absently played with the hanyou's silver hair, braiding and unbraiding a few strands repeatedly. Kagome sat still with Shippo in her lap, stunned at the revelation that InuYasha had been at the village the entire time. Koga merely sat off to the side.

In an attempt to break the silence, Miroku chuckled. "It was the darnedest thing. We were making our way up the hill, and I stepped into a dug up hole in a small clearing. There must be moles around because the area was full of them."

Looking up, Sango raised an eyebrow. "That _mole_ was Hanna. You fell into a child's booby trap."

Koga snickered at the look on Miroku's face, and Hanna smiled smugly as InuYasha rubbed her head tenderly.

Shippo blinked and looked at Hanna. 'Impressive.'

Coughing, Miroku sat up as Sango finished wrapping up his leg. "Sango…."

"Miroku," Sango said in an unfeeling tone.

"Sango… I… I wanted to come and apologize for the way I acted before you left."

"And to peep at Hanna and the other girls of our village," Sango stated with a cold glance.

"A mere misunderstanding," Miroku insisted. He grabbed her hands. "Sango, I…"

"Let go of Mama, pervert!" Hanna yelled, launching out of InuYasha's lap. At Miroku's shocked look, Hanna glared. "Any real man would know to _never_ try to steal another man's wife! Have you no shame, monk!"

Miroku was so shocked that he could hardly process her words. However, Kagome caught on.

"Another man's wife?" she repeated. "Sango, you're married? To who?"

At that, InuYasha slid his arm around Sango's waist and drew her into his lap possessively. "Me." Hanna came back to them, and Sango pulled her into her lap.

"And Hanna is our adopted daughter," Sango added.

Koga actually coughed at shock from that one as both Kagome and Miroku's eyes started to twitch wildly.

Shippo, however, was beaming ear to ear. "Congratulations!" Shippo exclaimed, jumping into Sango's lap next to Hanna.

"Thank you," Sango smiled warmly.

'Married?' Kagome nearly screamed mentally. 'He can't be married!?'

Without a word, Kagome jumped up and ran out of the hut. With a sigh, Koga got up and followed her. When they were gone, the couple sighed and glanced at Miroku.

"What?" InuYasha grunted.

Miroku looked at them painfully. "Nothing. Congratulations," he said, heading outside for some fresh air.

After a moment, Shippo looked up at the two. "Well, I'm happy for ya."

InuYasha sighed, ruffling Shippo's hair. "Thanks, kid."


	13. Chapter 13

I'm back! Please forgive me for the delay! I've been really busy at college, and it's exam week. After Friday, I should be able to work a lot more on this story. Thank you for your patience. Just to let everyone know, I will not cancel this story. This is my first, and I refuse to let it go unfinished. If I take a while to update, it is because I'm busy with college. Thank you again for your patience, and enjoy Chapter 13 of "A Warrior's Heart." –Love, MyaG. ((()) 

Chapter 13

Koga found Kagome staring out over the village numbly. The look on her face made him pause momentarily, but he stepped towards her anyway.

"Did you expect him to be waiting for you?" Koga asked.

Kagome blinked and turned to see him behind her. "Koga? I… I don't know. I guess I just expected him to at least be happy to see me."

"Well Kagome, I don't see him panting at your leg. You have to admit though, that you were rough on the guy," Koga said.

Kagome snapped around. "So you're on his side!?! I thought you were mortal rivals!"

"He has a mate, Kagome!" Koga defended himself. "You told me what happened, that you slapped him and insulted the guy. Give him a break for not waiting for your grand return!"

"Shut up! You have no idea how I feel!" Kagome snapped, stomping off. "Will you men just leave me alone!?!"

Koga stood dumbfounded at the spot as he watched Kagome march away. "What was that!? Women…" he huffed, heading the other way.

"So you traveled with my mama and papa, Shippo?" Hanna asked.

"That's right," Shippo nodded proudly.

"Wow…" Hanna smiled as they sat down outside on the landing. She watched as Shippo stood straight and proud from the attention the girl was giving her.

"By the way," Shippo started. "I have to say I'm impressed with those traps you dug in the forest. It was genius."

Hanna smiled. "Oh, that was easy. I just figured if I dug enough holes, then someone would have to fall in one of them. What about you, Shippo? Do you have any tricks?"

"Sure I do!" Shippo exclaimed. "Fox Fire!!"

The kitsune threw his spinning top, and it spun on the ground, growing to be bigger than either of them. Hanna gasped with wide, brown eyes.

"Shippo! That's so amazing!" Hanna exclaimed as Shippo landed next to her and the top dwindled back to normal size.

"Heh. Glad you like it," the kitsune fox smirked as he snapped his wrist, catching the toy.

Hanna nodded excitedly. "I really do, Shippo!"

"Don't let Shippo charm you, Hanna." The children turned to see InuYasha walking towards them from inside the hut. The hanyou sat down on the porch and smirked at Shippo as his daughter climbed into his lap. "The twerp's learning bad habits from Miroku."

"Hey! How can you say that with a straight face, InuYasha!?! I didn't ask her to bear my child or touch her bottom, did I!?!" Shippo spazed with his little fangs bared at the older man. He paused at Hanna's wide-eyed look and sweat dropped, blushing crimson. "I mean… not that I would…. Um…."

Inu chuckled and tousled the kitsune fox's hair. "Still hot headed, huh Shippo? You're always good for a tease."

Hanna giggled, and Shippo's glare softened to a clumsy smile. The fox rubbed the back of his head as he chuckled.

InuYasha smirked again and sighed as he leaned back on his elbows. Gazing out at the scene of villagers going about on their daily lives, he felt peaceful and completely relaxed. "How long are you and the others staying around, Shippo?"

The kitsune cub blinked and folded his arms in thought. "I… don't know. I don't think Kagome and the others will stay long…." He fell silent, and his bangs fell over his eyes. "InuYasha?"

"Yeah, Shippo?" InuYasha pushed, shifting so Hanna could climb into his lap.

Shippo jumped up to stand and faced the older man with determination in his eyes. "InuYasha…. InuYasha, I want to stay her with you, Sango, and Hanna!!!!"

Hanna smiled brightly and shifted her father's lap to look up at him. "Papa?"

Inu blinked. 'I didn't think he would come out and say it. Sango and I thought we'd have to drag it out of him.'

"You want to live here?" Inu clarified.

Shippo nodded. "Things haven't been the same since you and Sango left! Miroku is impatient; Koga's a jerk; and Kagome's is always either sad or angry!! Sometimes, I think Kagome was just angry she couldn't find so she could sit you!!!"

InuYasha snorted. "I'm not surprised…." He fell silent then and gazed back out to the scenery once more. Shippo gulped, frightened the hanyou would say tough luck or deal with it. He blinked surprised emerald eyes when InuYasha smiled. "We have plenty of room."

Both children's faces brightened with smiles.

"Yay! Papa!" Hanna exclaimed, hugging Inu's neck.

InuYasha smiled. "Thank Sango too."

"Yes, sir!" Carefully, Hanna stood up with her sprained ankle. She held her balance easily as she stepped off the porch and into the village in search for Sango.

InuYasha blinked when Shippo jumped into his lap. "InuYasha… thank you…."

"No problem, Shippo. There's one condition…"

Shippo blinked. "What?"

The kitsune fox followed the dog hanyou's eyes to Hanna's retreating form. "Grow strong to be a demon slayer so you can protect her."

Shippo blinked and blushed at Hanna's retreating form. He nodded silently and hopped off the landing, running after Hanna.

Kagome stomped in pace as she fumed. 'What is this!?! I've been looking all over the place for months, and this is what I get!?!'

The young miko paused as she growled mentally, remembering their encounter.

"_InuYasha, can we-"_

"_Do what you want…"_

Kagome bit her thumbnail. 'How could he just act like I don't exist? That I'm just some unwanted pest!? Only Kirara came to me, and that was just a rub against the leg and back in Sango's lap she went.'

Kagome sighed as she walked through the small hut that was InuYasha and Sango's home together. Her stomach turned to see the three different placing around the kettle.

'Sango and InuYasha are married now…. They even have a child.' A thought hit her suddenly, making her gasp. 'If they're married, then Sango could become pregnant at anytime! She could end up having his pup!!'

Koga's face appeared in her mind, and Kagome looked down to the floor ashamed. 'Why does this bother me so much? I have Koga. I'm happy with him…. Maybe it's because it's because InuYasha was my first crush….'

She sighed in defeat. 'I'm being such a brat. I even snapped at Koga when he was only telling the truth…. Maybe we should just leave and let them live their own lives.'

She walked on to the landing. When she heard Shippo's voice, she paused behind the screen.

"InuYasha…. InuYasha, I want to stay her with you, Sango, Kirara, and Hanna!!!!" she heard Shippo exclaim.

She paled and listened on, cupping her hand around her ear.

"Things haven't been the same since you and Sango left! Miroku is impatient; Koga's a jerk; and Kagome's is always either sad or angry!! Sometimes, I think Kagome was just angry she couldn't find so she could sit you!!!"

'No! Not you too, Shippo!' Kagome thought in shock.

Her anger returned when she heard InuYasha agree. "We have plenty of room."

She couldn't see straight as she heard Shippo scamper off. As soon as he was gone, she growled and slammed open the screen door.

InuYasha sighed as he smiled. Abruptly, he sensed blood lust behind him and heard the door behind him slam open.

"InuYasha, SIT BOY!!!!"

InuYasha flinched reflexively but blinked when nothing happened. He sat up and pat over his unharmed body in slight surprise. Realization hit him when he remembered Kaede's wedding gift and smirked. 'Thank you, Kaede.'

"SIT!!!" Kagome screeched with her eyes squeezed shut. "Sit! Sit! Sit! Sit!"

InuYasha sighed and buried his hands in his sleeves, watching Kagome calmly. Not noticing that he wasn't plummeting to the earth and making a body-shaped crater, Kagome continued to rant on with unsuccessful 'sits.'

InuYasha sweat dropped slightly. 'Is she always beet-faced when she does this?' he wondered, looking at her angry face.

"Are you done yet?" he finally asked in annoyance. "This is really getting ridiculous!"

Kagome blinked at his unwavering voice and opened wide eyes to see that Inu was in no way harmed from her attack. At his smirk, she zeroed in around his neck to see that the subjugation beads were missing.

"Wh… Wh…"

"Kaede's wedding present," InuYasha smirked. "I'm not your pet anymore."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the InuYasha characters, only Hanna. That goes for the previous chapter as well.

Sango sighed as she leaned against a garden fence. She watched as Jinengi and his mother worked in the garden. 'What are they doing here? Sure, we told Kaede to send them here, but I never expected them to react to numbly, Miroku anyway. Kagome looked so angry….' She shook her head to clear her thoughts when a slight pain came to her midsection.

"Are you sure you don't need any help, Granny?" Sango asked.

The elderly woman grunted as she pulled up a stubborn weed. "No, thank you. We're doing just fine here, Sango. Besides, you shouldn't do so much work around here in your condition."

Sango blushed, and the elderly gardener smiled. Ignoring her knowing smile, Sango's attention was diverted to a presence behind her. "Miroku…" she acknowledged in a sigh.

The monk stopped where he stood. "You were always attentive to your surroundings." Miroku smiled softly. "How are you and InuYasha doing, Sango? Are you happy?"

Sango sighed and turned to Miroku. Silently, she gestured for him to follow her away from the older woman's sharp ears. Miroku followed behind her as she led them back towards her and InuYasha's home. "We're very happy together," she told him, not turning to face him.

Miroku smiled kindly. "I'm glad to hear it."

"You're not angry?" He blinked and looked at the back of her head as they continued walking. He stayed behind her.

"…. Shocked would be the better term, but no, I'm not angry. I'm happy to hear you two discovered your feelings for one another."

"You talk as if you halfway expected for it to happen," Sango said casually, turning to face him.

Miroku sighed and closed his eyes. "When we were traveling together, you and InuYasha were the true warriors. Looking back on it, I can see that you made the better couple. Besides… you and I are so very different, Sango." At the confusion on her face, Miroku sighed again. "You were ready for commitment whilst I wasn't. I'm a true womanizer; I realized that after I peeked at the girls in the stream when I had come all this way to win you back. I support what you and InuYasha have."

Sango blinked in surprise at his words. "It takes a real friend to say that, Miroku."

The monk smiled boyishly. "So does that mean I'm forgiven for all my misdeeds against you, all the flirting and womanizing?"

Sango sweat dropped and sighed, shrugging her shoulders. "Sure. What do I care? I'm a married woman."

Miroku sweat dropped, making Sango smile. As she took another step, she cramped up and held her stomach. Seeing this, Miroku helped her. "Sango? Sango, what's wrong?"

Sango winced and held herself tighter. "It's nothing."

"It's not nothing. Are you wounded? Sick?" Sango shook her head. "Then what…."

"_You shouldn't do so much work around here in your condition."_ That was what he had heard the old woman caution Sango when he was walking towards them. He didn't think much on the matter at the time, but it was starting to make sense.

"Sango…."

Sango smiled. "Guess I don't have to tell you, Miroku, but please keep it to yourself. I haven't told InuYasha yet."

Miroku nodded. He blinked to see Shippo and Hanna coming their way. Remembering Hanna's earlier response to him, he backed away from Sango, and the demon exterminator straightened up to greet them with a kind smile.

* * *

"Well, isn't this nice?" InuYasha snorted. "Actually, I was wondering when your true colors were showing up."

"Uh… Uh…" Kagome was blue at the gills.

"Now, could you explain what that was for?" InuYasha asked calmly. He took in her nervous stance. 'What? She thinks I'm going to attack her? Give me some credit.'

Kagome blinked when he didn't rip her throat out in retribution for all the years of sits she ever rained over him. At his calm face, her previous fear left her, and her anger came back.

"How dare you? How _dare_ you take Shippo away from me!?!" Kagome yelled, glaring at InuYasha.

InuYasha blinked and growled slightly. "I didn't _take_ him! Shippo asked me if he could live here on his own!"

"Why would he do that!?!" Kagome yelled. "You've never been good to him like I have. You're always teasing him, hitting him, and yelling at him!"

"I'm treating him like a man!" InuYasha yelled angrily. "He needs to grow up and not be coddled all of his life, or he'll be killed in this world! Don't you understand that, Kagome!"

Kagome blinked but didn't back off. "I understand that perfectly! Koga has been treating him just like any other man!"

InuYasha snorted. "Then why does he want to live here with Sango and _me_!?! Didn't you hear what he said, Kagome!? He's miserable!"

"He is _not_!" Kagome exclaimed through grit teeth.

"He is too!" InuYasha snapped. "Think about it, Kagome. He has no one his own age to play with around you. When you _do_ get him to Koga's den, the other pups will tear him apart! But there are children in this village for him to grow up with safely!"

Kagome continued to glare at him with tears welling in her eyes. "Don't do this to me, InuYasha…"

InuYasha sighed heavily with growing anger. Turning away from her, he looked over the village. "It's always about you…. Why don't you just grow up, Kagome? Why don't you think about what's best for Shippo!?" he asked, turning to her angrily.

SLAP

Kagome gasped with wide, brown eyes. InuYasha tenderly touched his face, and he had the sudden feeling of deja-vu.

"_You stupid mutt!"_

"Oh, no! InuYasha, I'm so sorry!"

"_InuYasha... I-I'm so sorry!"_

InuYasha snorted. "Same old Kagome… Always sorry. Always saying sorry without meaning it, always thinking that only saying the words will make everything alright again."

"InuYasha…."

The hanyou felt up a finger, silencing her. "Get out of my sight," he said, glaring at her with cold eyes.

"InuYasha?" InuYasha's ears twitched to hear Sango's voice. He turned to see Sango, Miroku, and the kids looking at them worriedly. Sango's eyes widened to see the red mark over his cheek, just like it had been that day all those months ago. "What happened?" she demanded, looking at the two.

"I'm alright, Sango. Don't worry about it," InuYasha assured him as his mate rushed to him to inspect the mark. "Sango…"

"Shh…" She traced the slap mark and shifted her gaze to Kagome. Silently, she reached up and kissed Inu's lips, catching him off guard. Softly, she took his hand and pulled him to follow her into the hut. "Come," she said softly. She turned to the others. "Stay here."

InuYasha blinked softly and let her lead him into their hut. Kagome was still in shock and disbelief that she was still breathing. 'The way Sango looked at me….'

"Kagome, what did you do?" Miroku asked in disbelief.

The young miko blinked and looked away in shame. "I… I've done the unforgivable." She gasped softly holding her hands to her mouth. "I got angry again…."

The wind blew softly above them, rustling the leaves in the trees. Miroku sighed heavily, knowing nothing would ever truly be the same.

Neh, guess what Sango has to say to Inu-chan. Heh.


End file.
